


Our Years at Hogwarts

by Anna L (AnnaLopes03), AnnaLopes03



Category: Dramione - Fandom, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Coming of Age, Drug Use, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Graduation, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Seventh Year, POV Hermione Granger, Party, Partying, Smut, Underage Drinking, Underage Drug Use, Underage Sex, Underage Smoking, dramione - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-25
Packaged: 2021-03-26 18:22:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30110130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaLopes03/pseuds/Anna%20L, https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaLopes03/pseuds/AnnaLopes03
Summary: What if the Dark Lord never returned, never created the Horcruxes, or even knew how? Hermione and her two friends, Harry and Ron, go back to finish off their last year as normal, unpopular, unspecial kids-besides the fact that they attend a school full of magic. No 'Chosen-One', no Golden Girl, no Potter's sidekick. She experiences the highs and lows of being a teenager, filling her life with drama, petty remarks, and even causing her to take a dip in the muddy waters most known to others as the "wonders of teenage romance".*More of a modern-day approach to teenage life*⚠Notice: contains underage drinking, drugs, mature language, and smut ⚠~All credit goes to J.K. Rowling for her ideas included in this story such as the characters and basic settings~
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger & Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Lavender Brown/Parvati Patil, Luna Lovegood/Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson/Ginny Weasley
Comments: 5
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fan fiction does have descriptions of underage drinking, drug abuse, mature language, and smut as said in the description so please read with caution if you are sensitive to any of the TWs listed. 
> 
> This fan fiction is completely meant to be a fun hobby for me so I'm sorry if you notice some errors or possible plot holes. I am writing two books at once and the other one has most of my attention at the moment. Once I post all the chapters I have completed so far, this fiction might be on a possible hiatus until further notice—I will make sure to put this note on the last chapter I have fully written. 
> 
> (I'm not completely sure how many chapters I'm going to post and how frequently, I'm not even sure if this will get any attention but once again, this is completely just a fun thing I want to do in my spare time.)
> 
> I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading! <3

Hermione took a deep breath, allowing her lungs to expand and inhale the busy air. The chaos around her was both exhilarating and calming all at once, causing her emotions to run wild. Her brain fought the ideas of whether this moment could be considered melancholic with a pinch of fulfilment or joyful with the pit of longing for this point in time to never cease.

The train let out a long, high whistle, breaking her from her trance. Her hand began to ache due to the heavy luggage she held, gripping it tighter than needed. She finally took the first step and entered the express, the inside both familiar and warm.

Hermione walked around and eventually spotted two faces, one with flaming red hair and freckles she always tended to admire, and the other with vivid eyes that continually reminded her of a vast forest on a summer's day. The boy with the vivid eyes, more commonly known to her as her dear friend Harry Potter, walked over to her as his face stretched into a welcoming grin. She entered the compartment where her two companions sat and began talking about their summer as though no time had passed since the last time they saw each other.

"You two really need to write back more often, I swear I wrote over a dozen letters a month and received less than a handful from you both combined," she said as she rolled her eyes, releasing the ginger cat which was previously laced in the arm opposite to the other carrying her trunk. Her feline, one she got during her third year, was named Crookshanks, who she mostly called Crooks as it was a cute and convenient alias.

"Mum had us work around the Burrow all summer, I probably had to de-gnome the garden a million times, my arms feel like they're about to fall off," Ron Weasley chimed in as he ran his long fingers through the fire which laid upon his head. He began stretching out one of his lengthy arms and it made a few crackling sounds, causing Harry to make an uncharming yet humorous expression.

"Well, I'm sure you could've taken less than five minutes out of your overwhelmingly busy schedule to send me a short letter letting me know you're at least breathing," Hermione added, giving off a sarcastic huff, causing both the boys to snicker at her remark. "And you, what's your excuse Mr Harry James Potter"

"Well, I recently moved in with Sirius and Remus so it's been a bit of a wild ride," Harry said, scratching the top of his head while turning his gaze towards Hedwig, who cooed happily in her cage.

The train started to move and their long embark towards the beloved school they each attended for six, going on seven, years was waiting to welcome them home.

Home was an unusual term to Hermione Granger, she knew her technical home was at her muggle house, with her loving muggle parents, in a muggle world, but her heart and comfort always resided in the magic school, with her magical friends, participating in the magical classes she tended to excel in. She always perceived the divide between the two very different worlds but felt forced out of one due to her "dirty blood," as she got called nasty names from many who hated her kind—for no logical reason may she add. She figured it was mostly due to their fear of the unknown, the fear that they wouldn't and could never understand people like her, how she was raised, how she was ignorant to the world she was introduced to with a single letter at age eleven.

A friendly, older woman came by where they each sat and offered them the sweets off her trolley. Harry ended up treating Ron and Hermione to a handful of them since, as he put it, "We might as well go all out, it's our last year, after all, so let's cheers to it..."

The bitter hours seemed to fly by faster than any previous year and they found themselves on the carriages, ones which led to the _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_. They bumped into a few warm faces, such as Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood, as well as not so friendly ones, mostly directing towards Draco Malfoy and his notorious goons. He slipped out the occasional "Filthy Mudblood" as well as "Scar-head" and "Fire Weasel" to them all as they tried their best to ignore him while his loyal accomplices let out rough snorts.

There she was, standing at the entrance to the ancient, captivating castle she was lucky enough to call her school for the next year, with her two closest friends. Despite not being the most popular, or most appreciated, they always had each other, and that's all she ever needed.

The castle was swarming with students, all ages eleven to seventeen, most with coloured robes that represented their houses. Everyone flooded into the Great Hall and the annual Sorting took place, after which they were presented with heaps of food and she allowed herself to fill up to her brink. A few seats away, Hermione saw a flash of familiar ginger locks and their eyes joined in each other's line of sight. Her best friend's younger sister, Ginny Weasley, gave Hermione a small smile, glanced at Harry, then shot her eyes in the opposite direction. The two had a messy breakup, resulting in unwanted tension—Hermione was never one to enjoy the thrill of dramatics.

She started heading over to the Gryffindor common room, Ron to her left and Harry to her right, when Ginny ran up to her and asked for a chat.

"Bollocks, everything is full of bollocks," Ginny started, obviously annoyed, as she adjusted the red and gold tie of her uniform. She took another glance at Harry, who was chuckling at a comment Ron muttered, both walking to their dorms.

"Who needs boys anyway," Hermione attempted to lighten the mood as they walked into their own room. The girls set up their sections of the dorm and awaited the other roommates, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. Hermione was over the moon at the fact that Ginny was able to convince McGonagall, their head of house, to allow her to room with Hermione for her last year. She knew Ginny would push her to do more and end her year off with an exciting bang, starting out with:

"Hey, I heard there's going to be a 'Welcome Back to Hogwarts' party tonight... I'm dragging you with whether you like it or not"

"I wanted to get ahead in my studies Ginny, besides, we have a busy day tomorrow with classes starting" Hermione retorted, causing Ginny to let out a sigh and fall back onto her scarlet four-poster.

"You know, I promised to get you out of your normal routine so, being the incredible friend that I am, we're starting with that party—basically everyone's going... of course only fifth years and up are allowed"

"Fine," Hermione said as she raised her brows, "But you're at least letting me leave before curfew"

"You're so boring, Mione," Ginny teased as a smirk graced her features. She began throwing herself into her trunk, pulling out handfuls of clothes, throwing them into Hermione's arms. Hermione spotted a frilly dress, shiny tops, short skirts, and some shirts that were definitely designed to show a bit of skin. Ginny ordered her to try on a few and they held a mini fashion show.

"No"

"Definitely not"

"Merlin, you look like my great grandmum"

Finally, they settled on a two-piece which included a plain, white tube top, slick black pants that flared slightly at the ends, and a loose leather jacket.

"I mean you're doing a good job getting me out of my comfort zone, this is definitely not my style" Hermione commented, spinning in several directions in front of their dorm's full-length mirror.

"It's missing something..." Ginny said, rubbing her chin as she dived into deep thought. She rummaged once again and pulled out handfuls of gold jewellery as well as a black hair tie, a straightener, and a bag full of cosmetics. "We might as well go all out, it's your first official party after all"

Hermione scrunched up her face in protest but Ginny grabbed her shoulders and forced her to sit, plugging the straightener into one of the outlets nearby. She straightened and straightened every piece of Hermione's frilly hair until it finally cooperated, allowing Ginny to pull it back into a long, slick, high ponytail. She waved her wand to levitate the makeup from her clear cosmetic case and applied some onto Hermione's face with ease.

"All done!" Ginny said with a proud smile, placing her hands on her hips.

Hermione walked over to the mirror once again and her breath hitched—she looked like a completely different person—not that that was a bad thing in her eyes. She took a detailed gaze at herself as she pressed her face closer to the mirror, admiring Ginny's handiwork.

"I knew you'd like it." Ginny's voice came behind her, continuing to sport her happy grin.

~.~

A few hours passed and several students began proceeding into the Room of Requirement, which held most of the joint house parties.

Hermione started feeling a flush of nerves as she'd normally prefer to cosy up in her room and read a book instead of joining a large group of people and dancing around to, louder than necessary, music. She surprisingly saw Ron, and Hermione felt her stomach turn as she noticed he had a female guest, who was clinging to his arm as though he were her's.

Hermione knew that Ron and she were never official and had a hot and cold relationship, but that didn't mean she had no feelings towards him. Seeing Ron laugh with the beautiful Ravenclaw girl hurt her, even just a little.

Ginny knocked Hermione out of focus as she, quite literally and keeping to her word, dragged her through the doors.

The music blared, the room swam with colours, and the voices of all the students present filled the air. She already felt overwhelmed, but Ginny touched her shoulder as a way of encouragement.

"Seeing as you're not used to this type of thing, we might as well go get a few drinks to loosen up" Ginny suggested as she immediately began walking away to where, Hermione guessed, the drinks were.

She was alone, surrounded by dancing bodies and drunk teenagers. She turned to the side and witnessed a couple making out, causing her to shield her eyes as it wasn't the prettiest sight.

There he was, golden hair, dark clothes, pale skin. The hated Draco Malfoy stood to the side, holding what looked to be a lit blunt. He saw her staring and glared at her with an unwelcoming look; his grey, hazy eyes attached to hers. She automatically swallowed as she felt increasingly uncomfortable due to his invasive gaze. Finally, she felt a nudge at her side.

"I got the good shit," Ginny said in a loud voice, trying to help Hermione hear her above the music.

His gaze continued to linger until a girl with short hair and a fringe, named Pansy Parkinson, pulled at his sleeve and redirected his attention onto her. She seemed to be a bit intoxicated as her movements appeared sloppy and slow.

Hermione never allowed herself to get drunk so the burning sensation of the alcohol on her throat came as a surprise, Ginny made sure to give her something strong. She saw her friend's long, red hair bounce around as she danced freely to the tunes—a wide smile plastered onto her inebriated face. Ginny wasted absolutely no time in indulging in the fun but Hermione stood a little off to the side, simply bobbing her head to the music.

Due to her anxiety, Hermione kept sipping her drink as a way to keep herself busy and, before she realized, the whole bottle emptied into her system. She knew she was a lightweight as she usually never drank but her vision started to blur, and her body felt a bit looser. She allowed herself to walk up to Ginny and grab her hands. They started bouncing to the music together and for once in a long time, Hermione felt every ounce of worry slip from her mind as the liquid confidence took over.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note: I have all my stories posted on both here and Wattpad. If I add my work to any other site or app I'll be sure to post about it and let everyone know :)
> 
> My Wattpad user is the exact same as my one on here: AnnaLopes03
> 
> I also have edits on the Wattpad versions that I made for some of the characters.

She must have lost track of time because she suddenly felt herself being dragged by a strong, tight grip. Hermione looked up and saw the familiar, yet now hazy, face of Ron Weasley as he continued to pull her out of the Room of Requirement.

"I thought you were the responsible one of our group" he chuckled, and she had a sense he was a little tipsy himself. She felt her face flush and slowly came to her senses—at least the best she could.

"Sorry Ronald, I got carried away," she slurred, dropping her head a little, a feeling of tiredness washed over her.

"Merlin Hermione, it's almost three in the morning," she heard another voice say from a distance. Harry, who she didn't even notice was at the party, was stone-cold sober. He gave her a bit of a disapproving glance as he helped Ron prop her up onto one of the stone benches scattered throughout the school.

No wonder Ginny wanted to get drunk off of that vile stuff, her past flame decided to join in on the festivities as well.

Ginny finally came out with a worried expression, Hermione figured that she was looking for her. Her face relaxed as soon as she saw Hermione safe with her brother—and unfortunately her ex.

"Damn Hermione, I never saw you as a partier but you were wild in there," she said with a lousy smile, "You probably drank about three whole bottles"

Hermione's eyes widened at this new information, she didn't remember grabbing any more alcohol, let alone drink them. This sent a small shock throughout her body and she knew she had to get back and sober up before tomorrow.

~.~

She woke up in her dorm alongside Ginny, who snored soundly in her four-poster, Lavender, and Parvati. Hermione took a glance at the clock and gave herself credit for waking up at a reasonable time, considering everything that happened last night. Unsurprisingly, she contracted a major headache and decided to snoop through Ginny's bag, where she knew she kept her pepper-up potions. Hermione took a swig of one and immediately felt the pounding in her head subside.

Hermione headed down to the bathrooms, took her normal morning shower, and got ready to start her first official day of classes. Ginny entered the bathroom less than half an hour later and began getting ready beside her.

"Wicked party last night, yeah?" she said, applying mascara to her delicate lashes. Hermione simply gave her a smile, which Ginny returned, and started packing up her toiletries.

On her way out, she bumped into Harry and Ron, who seemed to get a rough night's sleep.

"Morning Hermione," they said in unison and Hermione bid them a morning as well.

An hour later, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and Harry all headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast and Hermione saw him again, giving her the same glare. She never noticed Malfoy as much as she did recently, which was probably due to the fact that he couldn't keep his bloody eyes off of her. He looked as though he were about to spit in her face and push her to the ground, all while shaming her for her "dirty blood" and unkempt appearance.

Instead of the two usual blokes at his side, he had two new ones who she recognized to be Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini. She had never spoken to them before but she figured that was for the best, seeing as they probably shared their mutual friend's beliefs.

"Just ignore him," Ron chimed in, flashing a nasty look in Malfoy's direction—a look which appeared to be a lot different to the one Malfoy gave her. Ron placed his arm around Hermione's shoulder as a way of telling Malfoy to back off but Hermione felt unusually uncomfortable with his gesture.

They sat down and Hermione made sure to sit with her back to the Slytherin table. She propped open one of her textbooks and returned to her typical schedule, skimming the pages and taking new information in. Every once in a while, she picked up her head and joined her friend's conversation, although she wasn't particularly interested as they were mostly conversing about Quidditch tryouts.

Suddenly, a roar of laughs erupted from the Slytherin table and Hermione turned to face them. They were all looking at her and her face flushed an intense red color. Her friends all gave the Slytherins the same look of disgust and continued their meals.

"Why can't they just leave me alone," Hermione muttered, feeling a deepening sense of guilt. They were probably talking about how she went off the rails last night, making her even more concerned over the fact that she didn't remember more than half of what happened.

"Because that's just the way they are—slimy gits—the lot of them," Ron said, giving Hermione a reassuring look.

To Hermione's luck, the bell rang shortly after and she got ready to start her classes.

~.~

Hermione entered her potions class, which was taught by the judgemental, unforgiving Professor Snape. Harry and Ron entered moments after.

Of course, the Slytherins were the house that shared this class with the Gryffindors, including Malfoy, Nott, Zabini, and Parkinson.

"Had a fun time last night _Mudblood_?" Parkinson shouted with an evil little grin, Zabini rolled his eyes and Nott tried not to grimace, holding back a laugh. Malfoy just stood there, an unreadable expression rested on his face, almost as though he were wearing a mask.

Hermione blushed, which seemed to be a normal occurrence for her this year, as she tried her best to give them no satisfaction of a reaction.

The lesson seemed to drag on and she kept getting glances, not only from the Slytherins but from her own house, as she began to wonder what she possibly could've done to gather so much attention. Ron and Harry looked just as confused as her, meaning they didn't see whatever unusual stunt she pulled last night.

After class, someone unexpected was waiting for her outside the door, leaning casually against the wall. Malfoy had his usual bored expression and he finally let out the word, "Granger," causing Hermione to stop almost immediately from shock. He always used the term _Mudblood_ when addressing her—she must have really fucked something up the other day.

Her stomach dropped as he looked at her, giving her a weird expression which, once again, she couldn't decipher.

"You should really chill on the drinks next time, I mean—I'm not going to lie—it was relatively entertaining but awfully embarrassing for you." And without an explanation or any way of telling Hermione what he meant, he left. A chill ran down her spine, even her own reactions confused her, the only thing she ever seemed to experience her first day was confusion.

~.~

"He said what!" Ginny's mouth was wide with astonishment, "The Slytherin prince, first of all, called you 'Granger' instead of his normal derogatory label and, second, shamed you for having a bit of fun—next time I see that bloke he won't be inclined to judge a soul after I'm done with him—"

While Ginny kept babbling about, Hermione was continuously thinking back to that one moment in time, a moment where she felt her pulse rise—due to a form of fear she suspected—as her face flushed. His grey eyes felt as though they were piercing through her very being, as though he could see every thought, every emotion, every sin.

"Oh," Ginny finally paused her extensive rant, "Ron wanted me to let you know that he and Harry are going down to Hagrid's... In case you were interested in joining them"

That's just what she needed, a temporary escape to a place far enough from the castle—despite it being humongous, Hermione felt as though the air were thinning around her and needed to get out.

Hermione and her red-headed friend parted ways and she began taking the quickest route to Hagrid's. She continued getting stares from all different students and spotted at least a handful from each house.

When she finally got to her destination, she saw something that made her face scrunch with disgust. She wasn't a huge fan of smoking but seeing her friends do it was a whole different story.

"Ron, what the fuck are you doing?" Hermione said, swatting the lit cigarette out of his hand.

"What the hell Hermione," He gave her an annoyed look and picked it back up again.

"Where's Hagrid anyway? I don't think it's very smart to smoke near his house—you'd get caught if he ever decided to come back, no doubt," she resumed, giving him a bit of a sassy and upset tone.

"We have no idea," Harry chimed in, "We got here not too long ago and knocked on his door—No answer"

The three of them decided to have a casual conversation as they waited for Hagrid.

Hours passed and there was still no sight of him.

"What do you say we go down to the Quidditch pitch and stay up past curfew," Ron suggested as he filled his lungs with chemicals and smoke.

"Yeah, that sounds fun, tryouts don't start till next week so I doubt anyone would notice." Harry adjusted his glasses as he picked up his school bag, getting ready to head over to the suggested location.

"Absolutely not, I can't break curfew again; besides, it's only the first day, and we still have classes tomorrow."

"Alright, see you tomorrow, Mione," Harry said, flashing a small gin to try and ease the tension. Meanwhile, Ron rolled his eyes as he walked away.

The year barely started and everything seemed completely off-kilter. This was supposed to be a time to form happy memories, experience new and thrilling things, maybe even start dating the boy she fancied for years who always made their relationship seem complex.

Instead, all Hermione got were unpleasant stares, arguments with her only close friends, being made fun of by a group of heartless people, and that bugger Draco Malfoy constantly making her feel out of place and uncomfortable.

She headed back to her common room to get some much-needed shut-eye.

_Two hours till curfew_

All she seemed to be able to do was imagine Ron and Harry down at the Quidditch pitch, looking at the stars, probably continuing to fill their lungs with the trash they were before—but at least they were having fun. She hated herself for being so uptight sometimes, she hated being seen as a two-dimensional girl who only cared for her grades and wellbeing.

No.

This year, things were going to be different—she promised herself she was going to put herself out there—mainly the reason behind why she asked Ginny to push her to do things. She couldn't only rely on Ginny though, as she had other friends, other plans, and her own life to worry about. She needed to start experiencing things on her own, and that's exactly what she was going to do.

Before she could give herself more time to think and convince her mind otherwise, she felt herself get out of the red four-poster she was previously laying in. She grabbed her wand and headed out the door—she was going to make her own memories, and she was going to start with taking Ron's offer and hanging out at the Quidditch pitch past curfew.

_One hour till curfew_

She was really doing this. She started feeling a wave of anxiety. It shouldn't be as big of a deal as it was, but she never broke the rules. She followed them as though her life depended on it, which at a school with magic, usually entailed that it did.

Hermione made it, her breath trying to catch itself after walking down several of the castle's corridors. Despite attending that school for about seven years, she still felt unfit when walking throughout it, causing her to lose her breath quite often.

She looked around but couldn't spot Harry or Ron. She paced left, she paced right. What was she supposed to do here all alone? This was a mistake.

"Is that Hermione Granger?" a voice came from behind her, causing her to whip around out of curiosity.

Theodore Nott.

Where the hell were her friends? She put her nail in between her teeth—nail-biting was a terrible habit she developed not too long ago.

Out stepped two others from Nott's posse—Parkinson and Zabini. Thank Merlin, a white-haired, tall, intimidating Malfoy was nowhere in sight.

"Goodie two shoes Granger? Here, past curfew?" Nott continued, letting off a shallow laugh.

"Leave me alone," she responded in an annoyed tone, beginning to walk away.

"Not so fast," Parkinson said, grabbing one of Hermione's arms.

Hermione looked at the ground and avoided eye contact, she wasn't sure what else to do.

"We're just chilling out here, why don't you join us? Last night proved you were a fun enough person, so I wouldn't mind the extra company." Nott began walking into one of the Quidditch towers, Zabini and Parkinson—who still had Hermione's arm grasped relatively tight—followed closely behind.

"So, tell us about yourself," Zabini finally spoke, offering them each one of those damn cigarettes. Now that Hermione got a closer look, it ended up being a blunt—were they going to force her to get high?

Hermione simply shook her head and Zabini gave her a shrug, bringing the blunt to his own mouth. They began a conversation about random topics and asking Hermione certain questions such as, "What finally caused the Gryffindor know-it-all to loosen up?" and "You should chill with us more often, maybe have a bit of fun, yeah?"

She still felt overwhelmingly out of place. Finally, a familiar redhead entered where they sat.

"What the hell is going on here, Hermione?" He gave her a look that seemed to be a mixture of confusion and concern.

"Nothing." Hermione immediately stood up and allowed Ron to guide her outside, again, giving the Slytherins the same glare he gave them during breakfast.

"You're no fun Weasley, why don't you let her decide who she wants to hang out with on her own?" Parkinson said, slipping out a small giggle.

Before she had a chance to respond, Ron dragged her out of the tent, which was way too reminiscent of last night, except for the fact that he didn't look nearly as drunk... or as cheerful.

"What is up with everyone and dragging me around." Hermione forced her arm out of Ron's grasp and she gave an angry huff.

"You know you've been acting incredibly strange lately Hermione, is everything ok?" Ron said, stepping closer to her. She looked up into his blue eyes and cursed in her head.

It wasn't fair, she felt as though she were supposed to be upset at him due to her catching him at that party with another girl, with their argument earlier, but she suddenly couldn't feel any of that anger anymore. It was his eyes. His damn eyes. They were as deep and as blue as an ocean, ones that always tended to calm her nerves. She uncontrollably kept flicking her eyes between them and he leaned in.

His soft lips touched hers, it felt like heaven. Finally, a piece of her very messed up puzzle fell into place. And then abruptly, that piece was thrown across the table.

"Aw, how sweet," Nott's voice was high pitched in a teasing manner.

"Oh bugger off," Ron sneered and he began walking away, once again, taking Hermione's arm to drag her along.

~.~

"Where have you guys been?" Harry said, looking a little confused.

"It's not important," Hermione stated in return, grabbing the arm Ron finally let go of and stroking it in a self-soothing motion.

"Well, we should probably head back."

"Yeah, you're right," Ron replied, running a few fingers through his soft-looking hair.

She was finally out of the trance Ron put her in before and the anger of seeing him with another girl tore at her insides. She had to know.

"Hey Ron, can I talk to you... alone—sorry Harry." Harry simply gave her the same grin he gave her earlier, paired with a nod, and headed back up to the castle. "Who was that girl that accompanied you at last night's party?" Hermione crossed her arms in front of her chest, feeling the self-consciousness and jealousy rise.

"Oh, that was nothing—just a friend I met recently," He said, brushing off the issue.

Hermione decided not to say anything else as she didn't want to blow the situation out of proportion—after all, she didn't see them kiss or anything.

~.~

It was bright and early—Hermione got greeted with the sight she dreaded. Ron and that girl dressed in blue Ravenclaw robes were kissing. She watched as his hands caressed her cheeks, as the girl's hands slid into his beautiful, flaming red hair. Hermione swore she heard a moan.

Her chest felt as though it had cracked in two and started to breathe heavily. She knew this wasn't a good sign and headed to the bathroom.

Just as she suspected, she began having a breakdown. Tears streamed down her flushed cheeks, her eyes started to swell, and her hair began to frizz. This year has turned to be one of the worst years of her life.


	3. Chapter 3

She was in the bathroom for about an hour—at least that's what it felt like.

Hermione fixed up her appearance and finally headed to her class, she only seemed to miss breakfast. Thankfully, her first period was with the Hufflepuffs, who tended to be less judgemental—although she got a few nasty stares from some yesterday.

When she entered, she saw Ron and Harry standing in one of the corners of the classroom so she decided to walk over. Hermione hated the fact that they had Herbology first thing on Tuesdays this year, but today she didn't really seem to mind—or care.

"Alright everyone, let's get started." Hermione heard Professor Sprout speak in her typical peppy tone, "Today, we are harvesting a few Moly plants to help aid in Madam Pomfrey's much-needed medical potion restock—"

But after just a few words from the Professor's mouth, Hermione's mind began to wander. She, unlike herself, didn't even pay attention to Sprout's verbal instructions. All the students around her, including Ron and Harry, started stationing themselves around the table with the supposed Moly plants.

"Miss Granger, is everything alright?" The Professor came over to where she stood, meaning Hermione probably showed a physical sign of distress.

"Yes, I'm alright Professor," Hermione responded, dismissing Sprout's offered assistance.

The class dragged on.

_Forty-five minutes left._

_Twenty-three minutes._

_Twelve._

_One._

And the bell finally rang.

~.~

"You know, I was a little surprised when you said you wanted to join us... willingly," Zabini said as he sat down on one of the wooden benches of the Quidditch tower. "It's a shame Pansy and Draco couldn't join, they're probably snogging in a classroom or some rubbish."

"So, how are you doing today princess," Nott's voice swooped in, his tone a mixture of comical and flirty.

She just fiddled with her wand, avoiding any form of eye contact. In truth, all she wanted was to get away, forget about her problems, and waste in her own self-pity—which, in her muddled mind, she expected to get with this band of Slytherins. Of course, that wasn't much of the case as she felt even more out of place than before. She couldn't ask Ron and Harry to help her out though, she couldn't even get herself to confront Ron at all.

"I don't know, this week's been kind of shitty," She finally responded, resting her chin in her palm.

"Tell me about it." Zabini brought more of his blunts, and some annoying pull in her chest made her tempted to accept one this time. She didn't. She hadn't experienced _that_ strong of a low to want to get high and let the world pass without a second thought.

Hermione began ranting about a few things—nothing that was deemed too important to her—she didn't fully trust either of them enough to get into anything deep.

The night was young and she talked a lot longer than she expected she would. It felt quite relieving, which was something she definitely needed. All that pent up stress seemed to slightly fade away.

"Wow, you really are having a shitty week—I expected you to say something like 'I was late to several classes on accident and answered a question wrong in class'" Nott teased as he laid on one of the benches, looking at the stars no doubt.

"Yeah Granger, are you sure you're alright?" Zabini gave her a look that could be mistaken for empathy, but she wouldn't allow herself to be tricked so easily.

"I don't need your pity—um—thanks though," Hermione responded, trying not to be too rude and blunt. She didn't need more drama to unfold, she was barely holding on with everything else seeming to crash onto her.

And with those few words, the tension rose a little, she used that as her excuse to leave. Nott gave a bit of a chuckle at her direct words as she got ready to leave.

"Going so soon?" He finally commented as she stood.

Hermione didn't give him much of an answer as she shrugged and exited down the stairs of the tower. She really needed to head back, it was already an hour past curfew and she'd damn the day she ever got caught.

~.~

"You're going insane Mione," Ginny said, seating herself at the foot of Hermione's four-poster.

"I know, I know." Hermione put her hands on her head as a way to help relieve her mental headache.

"Looks like someone had a rough day," Parvati chimed in while she and Lavender entered the dorm, alcohol bottles were laced in each of their arms.

"No—no way—the last time I drank that, things didn't end well," Hermione said, physically pushing herself away from the liquid.

"Oh come on, it's not like anyone will see you... except us." Ginny encouraged her by placing a hand on her shoulder.

Hermione ran some of the possible consequences in her mind and figured that she'd rather risk those than continue wallowing about her awful life. She took a few sips and felt the alcohol slide down her throat, giving her the slightest sense of pleasure. After a few more, the warmness reached her face and she felt her cheeks flush, the room began to blur.

"Life isn't fair, you know? Like I've been a good student, been nice to a lot of people, and haven't done anything wrong—well, ignoring everything that's happened for the past two days. Why is my life falling down the drain?" She paced around the room, almost in a swaying-like manner, another bottle gripped in her hand.

"It's only the second day, things will get better." Ginny seemed to be a much more optimistic drunk, sometimes Hermione wished she could steal Ginny's positive state of mind.

"Last year, I had the worst pregnancy scare of my life," Lavender said as she plopped down on the floor, just as tipsy as the others, "At least your life hasn't gotten to that point, that's when you enter the danger zone."

"She has a point, I've only ever had one and it was awful, I swear I was about to have a heart attack while waiting for the test result," Parvati continued, sitting next to Lavender, "And this is why I vowed to never sleep with another man, they're full of crap anyway."

Parvati and Lavender have been an on and off mess, just as Ron and Hermione, but they seemed to be a lot more steady and mutual. The two girls ended up cuddling together and falling asleep due to their drunken state. Ginny and Hermione were left alone.

"So, now that they're out, what exactly happened today that was so earth-shattering?" Ginny propped herself up and moved closer to Hermione. Hermione was beginning to feel a bit drowsy herself as she was barely able to keep her eyes open. "Maybe we can talk about it more tomorrow when we're not so intoxicated and wiped."

They both agreed that was for the best and got ready to go to bed. Hermione kept telling herself that she only needed to survive four more months until their winter break—but began to tear up as she realized that she barely endured two days.

~.~

She was standing in a blank room.

Empty, cold, alone.

There were no doors, no windows—no way of escaping.

To her side laid three bottles of alcohol, a blunt, and a bag full of makeup. They were scattered about.

She decided to organize them, placing the bottles into a group to the left, the blunt in the middle, and the makeup to the right.

Suddenly, the creaking of footsteps appeared behind her. It was Ron. Instead of his beautifully captivating blue eyes, they shone a dark red. He placed his lips on her's, just as he did when everything was as it should be, when she felt whole. He clawed at her shirt, begging her to take it off.

A moan escaped her throat and she assisted him in removing the fabric blocking each other's skin from contact. He moved on from her lips and connected his mouth to her neck. His soft touch began to turn more passionate and she felt his teeth.

With another flash, a girl with a blurry face appeared, Ron at her side. He was doing to her exactly what he was doing to Hermione an instant ago. She laid there cold and alone. Her clothes had disappeared and she felt vulnerable and exposed. Her emotions ran wild. She cried. She broke.

Her tears filled the room, beginning to drown everyone inside. She didn't care. She felt a void in her heart. She closed her eyes and slowly opened them again.

She was in a field, alone yet calm. Ginny, Harry, Nott, and Zabini were at her side. She was laughing—she couldn't remember the last time she genuinely laughed like this. Nott was making ridiculous jokes, causing a roar of laughter from them all.

A storm started to form. She looked up from the field, the grass around her changed into an unattractive brown and her company disappeared. The rain poured onto her, causing the makeup on her face to melt. Her hair soaked, her clothes became see-through, and her vision muddied—she felt a wave of vulnerability once again. A bolt of lightning struck and her body jumped in fear.

She woke; sweaty, cold, disoriented.

Hermione looked to her side, there laid three bottles of alcohol, a blunt, and a bag of makeup. Ginny was in a deep sleep on her four-poster, Parvati and Lavender still cuddled on the floor.

She pressed the heels of her hands onto her eyes. She sobbed. She didn't know why but she couldn't stop.

The alcohol still pumped itself through her system so the world felt uneven, her emotions out of place. Hermione decided to get up and grab a book out of her bookbag. She tried to read but the words were a blurry mess, making them illegible. She sighed and laid back down, taking deep breaths.

~.~

"You've been ignoring me all day, what's going on?" Ron persisted in trying to get Hermione's attention but she kept her focus forward as she walked at a fast pace. "Hey, can you at least look at me and tell me what's wrong?"

He forcefully took her shoulders and twisted her body towards his. She rolled her eyes which seemed to tick him off—a feeling of satisfaction rose at his annoyed reaction.

"Why don't you tell me, Ronald, I asked before—you lied—and now I'm going to ask again. I'm expecting a solid, true answer. Who was that Ravenclaw girl you took to the party? What's going on between the two of you?"

"Nothing, she's not important to me. Hermione—"

That's all it took. She stormed off again, she wasn't going to take any of his bullshit.

 _Fuck_.

Harry.

He looked at her with a concerned expression and told her to talk with him in private. She explained to him everything she saw between Ron and the girl and caught a glint of empathy in his eyes—true empathy.

"Your feelings are completely valid Hermione—despite Ginny and me being broken up, whenever I see her with some other bloke—it's an awful feeling."

She nodded her head in response, she was just happy to have one of her best friends back. She wasn't sure how Harry would approach Ron though, they always seemed to have a tighter bond together than either with her.

"I know what you're probably thinking and yeah, I'll talk to Ron about it. He shouldn't be so careless."

And with that, Hermione's day started getting a bit brighter. She thanked Harry, hugged it out, and headed to class. Thankfully, she didn't have her next class with either of them as they refused to take Arithmancy with her.

~.~

"Neville, Luna, and I are heading down to the lake... do you want to come with us?" Ginny's eyes reflected her cheerful mood and Hermione accepted the invitation.

They all hung out near the lake and it made Hermione feel a sense of tranquillity. Luna acted like her normal calm and care-free self which helped Hermione let go and destress. 

"The weather is quite lovely today," Luna said—her voice sounded like warm, fresh honey. She used her wand to transfigure some of the grass into a handful of beautiful, yellow flowers. Luna beamed at the perfectly shaped daffodils.

The birds chirped happy tunes, the wind made the trees sway, and the four of them enjoyed their temporary solitude.

"Hermione, would you mind helping me with my potions essay? Professor Snape gave me a terrible mark last time and I need to do well to level it out," Neville asked, breaking the calming silence, although Hermione didn't mind.

"Yeah, of course, Neville." Despite having a keen dislike for the potions Professor, she fared pretty well in that class and helped Neville with ease.

Curfew drew nearer and Hermione had a choice in whether she should join the Slytherins like she had the last two nights or finally get to her dorm in time. She decided the latter.

She left straight from the lake to Gryffindor tower with Ginny at her side. They had a casual conversation on the way up, one without drama or stress-inducing subjects.

Her dorm mates, including her, drifted to sleep. She had a lovely dream about laying by a lake on a warm day, Luna's daffodils bloomed out of the ground and gave her a sense of hope for a fresh start.


	4. Chapter 4

A few weeks whizzed by and, to Hermione's surprise, nothing overwhelmingly inconvenient occurred. She began picking up the routine she developed her first year at Hogwarts, which mostly consisted of her making a handful of time out of her day to enjoy the solitude of the library.

She relished the comforting atmosphere of the book-filled paradise. The smell of both new and old parchment, the quietness that encompassed the area, the clean atmosphere with barely a crumb in sight.

Hermione entered her favorite corner, which tended to shield her from everyone else, allowing her to read and study without distraction. She held up a one-thousand paged book, detailing the several spells, charms, and potions their year was expected to learn, as she wanted to get a head start. Nothing gave her more pleasure than showing her intellect in the classroom as well as the teacher's praise whenever she slipped out the answer with pride and ease.

She sat in there for about an hour until something—better described as someone—decided to ruin her enjoyable seclusion. Why would that dolt even come here? She never saw him as a person who casually read, let alone for fun.

Malfoy stood tall, a few books floated at his side. He gave her a moderately long glance and sat at the table a few feet away. Hermione couldn't keep her eyes from flicking in his direction. She felt the sudden inkling crawl in her brain that he was there to simply make fun of her, which made a lot more sense in her mind than him enjoying a light read on an early morning.

The sun shone through one of the windows, illuminating his features. His face became a work of art, giving the bare room a bit of beguiling charm and she looked at him a moment too long.

His eyes locked onto hers and she felt the embarrassment flood to her face. Hermione knew he saw her face turn from its normal pale complexion to a ripe red and decided to relocate herself.

There was no way in _hell_ she was going to let him destroy her peaceful morning.

Her hair kept cascading onto her face, making her conjure a band to throw her hair into a messy bun. Hermione knew it wasn't the most attractive look but who was she trying to impress anyway? She continued her book back to where she left off—page four hundred thirty-four.

The bell rang and as she stood up, she bumped into something hard.

"I'm so sorry," she said, beginning to look up.

To her luck, the one person who made her relocate a short moment ago stood less than an inch away. She didn't even wait for his most likely rude response as she quickly glided to her next destination.

~.~

"I talked to him."

"How was it? I suspect it didn't go as swimmingly as you thought." Hermione looked into Harry's emerald eyes, his glasses reflecting the light of the candles in the corridor.

He gave her a bit of a shrug before he continued.

"He admitted that his actions weren't the best—except he phrased it a little different—but he said he's planning on talking to you about it properly, as soon as you stop avoiding him."

"Bollocks." Hermione knew that Harry was attempting to make the situation sound better than it actually was which, for her sake, was probably a safe move but she hated the fact that she had to confront him. It was the right but difficult thing to do.

She finally found out the name of the Ravenclaw girl: Lorelai Goodwell. She seemed like a sweet girl but Hermione's first impression of her clung to her former flame's arm put her off from making an educated decision on her character. Hermione saw her walk swiftly down the hall, her blonde hair swaying gracefully as she pranced forward. She was pretty much perfect; her posture straight, her teeth white, her eyes an intoxicating blue—similar to Ron's. She was the complete opposite of Hermione with her brown frizzy hair, muddy eyes, insecure demeanor.

The world seemed cruel, making her deal with so many insecurities meanwhile girls like Goodwell existed, effortlessly beautiful.

Hermione stopped herself from thinking before she jumped into a dark hole—one she tended to fall into quite often.

A voice shouted her name and she turned, attempting to find the source.

Parkinson?

Why was _she_ beckoning her over? This had to be a trap.

Hermione cautiously walked over to her known foe, expecting the worst. Granted, the last time they hung out, their interaction wasn't all bad.

"If you're not too much of a bore, you should come and join us tonight. You pussied out on us for the past few weeks it seems."

Hermione was questioning why the Slytherin group wanted her to join them again, this was most definitely a trap. She tried to think of a quick excuse but by the time she fixed something together, Parkinson was gone.

Maybe she could ask Ginny to join her for moral support? She'd probably think Hermione was insane to even consider hanging out with them again, let alone wanting to bring her along. She dug herself a grave. She never should've gone to the Quidditch pitch that night. She shouldn't have even ever gone to that party—the judgement from her peers seemed to simmer down but she could still sense a few unfriendly stares from time to time.

Before she could comprehend exactly what she was doing, she was off. Was this a bit insane? Yes. Was this extremely dumb? Definitely, but she seemed to make an unthought out decision and treaded into muddy waters. She was drowning in her own regret as soon as she saw the colorful towers. Tryouts already took place, and so did a game, but at this time of day, they were unlikely to get caught—the thing that irked her was that there was always that small chance.

She heard a group of laughs in the distance and instantly put up a wall, they were probably plotting her demise.

Her heart began to race.

_One, two, three, four..._

Ron taught her a long time ago to count whenever she started to feel anxious. There he was again, invading her mind. She continued to count regardless.

_Five, six, seven, eight..._

Her feet seemed to move on their own as her brain dissociated from the world. A huge boom sounded from the sky—it made her jump.

_Boom_.

Another.

_Boom_.

And another.

Her curiosity got the best of her and she walked even faster to the Quidditch pitch. An explosion of color filled the sky, she felt as though she were in a dream. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as her anxiety died down.

"There she is, the woman of the hour." Nott walked over, his arms stretched as a way to exaggerate her arrival.

_Boom._

These idiots were setting off fireworks.

"You know, if you continue all this ruckus, you're going to get caught."

"Don't worry darling, we spelled it so only the people we want to hear and see it will." Nott gave her a grin, knowing he won their very brief argument. He must not win them often as he looked a little too pleased with himself.

Parkinson came out, smoking a blunt. Zabini and Malfoy were nowhere to be seen. Hermione was tempted to ask where they were but refrained as she didn't want them thinking she cared—which she didn't, it was pure curiosity.

The group seemed to spell a bonfire as well which was lit perfectly in the middle of the field. She could sense the safety spells around it so it couldn't catch anything unintentionally on fire. She had to admit, she was a little impressed with all the precautions.

She heard a rustle in the grass behind her.

_Ginny, Ron, and Harry?_

"What the hell. We heard a large boom and came over to check it out," Ginny said, letting out a yawn, her hair thrown up in a messy plait.

"I thought you said they were spelled so other people couldn't hear it?" Hermione gave Nott an annoyed and confused expression.

"We did, and it seems to have worked out perfectly."

And with that, Hermione's stomach turned. What the fuck were they planning?

That's when she saw them: Zabini and Malfoy.

She still felt a little embarrassed from what happened at the library, even though she shouldn't, but she couldn't help it. She looked at Malfoy and he didn't seem to be expecting the extra company, he gave them all an unpleasant look.

Ron whispered Hermione's name in her ear and begged to let him talk to her. She complied. She needed their feud to end; she needed her friend back, even if that's all they were—friends.

He told her about their kiss, about how they started to kindle a flame between the two during the summer. This explained why he wrote even less to her than usual, her jealousy sprang up a little but she snuffed it out before it became an inconvenience.

Apparently, if Hermione were to believe him—which she did—he met her through his father. Mr Weasley met Lorelai Goodwell's father at the ministry, he was a new employee who worked in a similar department as Mr Weasley. He invited the Goodwells over for a meal to get to know his new coworker and that's how Ron and she got acquainted. Then everything else happened from there. Ron promised nothing went too far as he realized that he never cooled it off with Hermione but a slight feeling told Hermione that he was twisting the truth a little.

She decided to ignore the emotional wound Ron inflicted upon her and forgave him. She took the mature approach, although a part of her wanted to scream and lock herself in a room for days on end.

"I honestly couldn't ask for a better friend, you're amazing Hermione." Ron gave her a bit of an awkward hug and they walked back to the rest of their weird mix of a group.

The stars shone brightly in the night sky and their bonfire gleamed a pleasant glow.

Hermione was right for anticipating danger. Parkinson demanded that they play "Truth or Dare" and somehow managed to slip a small vial of veritaserum from Professor Snape's potion cabinet. Malfoy refused to play and walked away from the group, Hermione was a bit ashamed to admit but she was tempted to join him.

Ginny gave Hermione an uncomfortable look as soon as Parkinson suggested they play her little game. Harry and Ron shifted, showing their rising discomfort too.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea Pans," Zabini said, the Gryffindor's discomfort must have been obvious to him as well.

"Oh come on, I thought Gryffindor was the brave house, turns out they're just all full of pussies."

"Watch it." Ron tensed his jaw.

"Ok, I'll go first." Parkinson looked around, deciding who her victim was going to be. "Ginny Weasley, truth or dare."

"Dare." She responded hesitantly.

"Let's see... I dare you to strip."

"You've got to be shitting me. I'm not doing that!" Ginny gave a huff and eyed Parkinson with an angry glare.

"Don't be such a bore, I thought you were the fun one out of this bunch, that's why I suggested Nott call you over as well." Parkinson gave Ginny a bit of a smirk.

"Hand me a bottle." Ginny reached her hand out and Nott handed her one. She popped it open with her mouth and took a huge gulp before taking off her clothes. She rarely backed off on a challenge and tonight was no exception. Ginny sat back down, her black bra and panties out for the world to see. Hermione glanced at Harry and saw he was insanely flustered—he avoided looking anywhere near Ginny's general direction.

Nott and Zabini gave each other a look and Hermione scoffed at their immaturity.

"Alright, it's my turn to take control." Ginny grinned mischievously. "Zabini, truth or dare."

He put a hand to his chin as a way to show that he was thinking about the pros and cons of either decision.

"I'm going to go easy and say truth."

"Oh, you should know that neither option is safe with me."

The group gave off a few amused and intrigued looks and Ginny got ready to state Zabini's fate.

"Who was your first-ever hookup? And when I mean hookup, I mean full-on"

Pansy gave Zabini a drop from the small vial. He hesitantly gulped it down, a look of unease forming on his face.

"Parvati Patil—and before you judge me, I was extremely drunk."

Hermione's mouth dropped at his answer, she wasn't expecting that at all. Despite being roommates with Parvati for years, she had absolutely no idea that Zabini and her slept together. That's when she started to wonder if he was the guy who caused her pregnancy scare.

He paused a little, trying to think of who to pick on when suddenly his eyes shifted over to Hermione. She knew this wasn't going to end well.

"Hermione." His cunningness shown in the way his voice slyly said her name. "Truth or dare love."

She wasn't sure why, she didn't even remember the word slipping out of her mouth, but she ended up picking dare. Everyone's eyes locked onto her, including Malfoy who leaned against one of the sides.

"I dare you to get high for the first time."


	5. Chapter 5

Colors of green, blue, red, and yellow spun throughout her vision. Voices flowed in wave-like patterns, all clear yet distant. For some strange reason, she felt both calm and warm—it gave her a soothing yet disorientated feeling, a huge contrast to how she felt when intoxicated with alcohol.

Ginny moved towards her, her face going in and out of focus just like the noises surrounding her. She said something Hermione couldn't understand. She tried to focus on Ginny's mouth and saw her form the words, "Are," "You," and "Ok."

_Was she ok?_

She hadn't felt better if she were being honest. Hermione was barely able to make out Blaise's face, his white teeth showed and she assumed he was smirking at her.

She took another hit.

The sky was shining beautifully, the stars swimming in the black sky. As she looked up, she felt as though everything around her had ceased. It was just her and the stars now. They spoke not through words but their glistening charm. The sense of euphoria ran within her veins, pumping throughout her body, and her skin prickled.

She breathed out the smoke, feeling her lungs contract as it pushed the unnecessary particles out of her system. She knew she would be seen as a hypocrite as she bashed her friends for doing similar things to their bodies but, at this moment in time, she didn't feel an ounce of care. All she could seem to get herself to do was giggle at the chaos around her.

The effects resumed and she felt a pair of arms wrap around her torso.

Her hearing got a tad clearer and she heard a low voice say, "I don't think this was the best idea."

"Are you kidding? This is great." Another man's voice, possibly Theo's.

"Bloody idiots, I'm going to take her back to the common room." And another.

"No Ron, you've put her through enough emotional stress. I'm taking her." Finally a voice she could decipher out of the group—it was a female's.

Ginny shifted Hermione's weight onto her and proceeded out of the Quidditch pitch. She heard a few huffs of amusement as they trudged away. The stars still waved at her in a friendly manner and she felt the tips of her mouth curve into a smile.

Theo must have shot more fireworks in the air as colors of blue, red, and purple exploded, expanded, and dissipated. The colors swam within the dark depths presented by the night's vast sky.

The castle came into view, they were almost inside.

"That was fun." The extra dopamine produced in Hermione's brain ran rampant as the drugs continued to tickle her mind.

~.~

Hermione woke up, her mouth dry. She didn't remember falling asleep but she must have at some point.

The events from last night flooded back into her memory and she blushed at the lack of control she had over her own mind. Although the experience gave her a wave of tranquillity, she vowed never to let either alcohol or drugs influence her to that extent ever again. It was just a dare, nothing more.

As she sat in the Great Hall during breakfast, everyone had more cheerful and optimistic attitudes; she had no idea why but she didn't mind. Even her acquainted group of Slytherins laughed, this time not directed at her, and seemed high in spirits.

"What's everyone so happy about?" Hermione whispered to Parvati, who was sitting to her left.

"There's word going around that Hogwarts is hosting a festival of sorts for Halloween and that there's going to be a dance paired along with it," She responded, a smile spreading across her face.

"I heard that they're going to announce it at Dinner," Harry chimed in, innocently eavesdropping on their conversation.

Hermione was never super fond of Halloween but didn't mind the idea of having a few forms of amusement to help her enjoy the holiday more. She hoped they would include some muggle traditions such as pumpkin carving as she enjoyed doing more lowkey activities.

"Do you think the dance is going to have us wear costumes instead of formal wear?" Ginny said while stuffing her mouth with Pixie Puffs.

"I'd love it if it was a costume party, if not we can always plan our own," Parvati responded, flashing a wink.

Hermione pondered what she would even want to go as—she had absolutely no idea.

A few hours past and Headmaster Dumbledore announced that they would indeed be hosting the festival as well as a Halloween ball, everyone cheered. After the fact, as Hermione was walking down the hallway, a familiar face appeared before her.

"Hello, gorgeous." It was Theo. "You should join me and my mates at the festival... Maybe after we can enjoy a smoke?"

"Absolutely not," Hermione responded, quickly walking away.

"What's got your wand in a knot, Granger? Come on, have a bit of fun."

"I wouldn't consider last time fun." She started to feel a tinge of discomfort and Theo gave her an exaggerated frown.

"Not even a little? It looked like you were having fun to me."

"Bugger off Theo." And that was the end of their conversation.

~.~

The end of October rolled around and the festival came up quickly. Her roommates ran around, getting ready to disguise themselves as things they weren't.

"Hey Ginny, can you do what you did at that party with the makeup?" Hermione missed not looking like herself.

"Of course, what are you even going as?"

"A witch." She looked up as Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Wow, very creative. We're going to come up with something a little more interesting." And the hunt for a new costume commenced, Lavender and Parvati assisting Ginny on her newfound quest.

They took time in the early morning, the sun barely peeking out from the horizon, and went down to Hogsmeade. A few new shops began to spring up over the past few years and one of them, luckily enough, was a vintage clothing store. Lavender found a section in the back with items that could be pieced together to form a costume.

They spotted a pair of wings—its white feathers catching Hermione's eye. They also found a plain white dress and halo.

"You could go as an angel," Lavender suggested, picking up the halo.

"Or a princess of sorts," Parvati popped up, giving Hermione a small fright, as she shoved a red gown into her hands.

"If we take the angel approach, we could make it more creative and say you're going as Juliet from _Romeo and Juliet_." Ginny grabbed the halo from Lavender, took the flowy white dress off its hanger, and plucked the wings from the shelf.

"That's perfect!" Both Parvati and Lavender said in unison, gushing at Ginny's idea as though it was the most brilliant thing they've ever heard.

After paying for the objects, walking back to the castle, and chatting about their excitement, they all went to their dorm.

They spent most of their day hanging in the common room and once the evening appeared, they got themselves ready.

Ginny slid on a satin red slip dress, put on deep red lipstick, and paired her outfit with small horns. Lavender, on the other hand, went as a female version of Hercules and Parvati as Meg, making them a set.

Ginny did as she promised and helped Hermione get ready, putting on similar makeup to what she did before—except stuck tiny rhinestones around her face, and curled her hair into more even, organized curls.

They went down to one of the courtyards, which was enchanted to lead them into a huge field where all the activities sat.

Hermione whipped her head around in order to admire all the things presented to them and she spotted a maze, a small haunted house—which she suspected had an extension charm cast on it, an area where the house elves served many pastries and various sweets, as well as other small activities. As they walked a little further, Hermione saw something that caught her interest—a pumpkin carving station.

"We're going to go do the haunted house together, you two have fun!" Parvati and Lavender left her and Ginny alone.

"Let's try and find a group to go with us inside the maze," Ginny suggested, beginning to look around for one of their friends.

Hermione's attention latched onto Harry—who was dressed as a vampire—and Ron—decked out in muggle soccer gear, which she assumed he stole from his father. Ron, of course, went to where the house elves served the food first thing and held a pastry in his hand. Harry, on the other hand, seemed to be looking around for something. He suddenly shot his eyes in Hermione's direction and the two boys began walking over.

Ginny sighed when she saw them come but decided they were better than nothing.

The four of them entered the maze, Hermione and Ginny clung to each other's arms. The hedges seemed as though they were enchanted to move so that students could go in more than once and experience something completely different each time.

"I think we should try going left, I swear we've been traveling in circles this entire time," Harry said, adjusting his glasses.

"No, I have a strong feeling that right is the best way," Ginny chimed in, her grip on Hermione's arm tightened.

"I don't think so Ginny, we've taken three rights already."

"The hedges change _Harry_ , that's why it's probably best to stick to one direction so there's more chance of it opening up."

"You know what, let's just split up," Hermione broke the building tension.

"I agree, what Hermione said." Ron awkwardly gave Hermione a nod and the group split their different ways.

"What a spineless git, he always has to be right in every situation." Ginny huffed, releasing her grip from Hermione's arm and walking quickly around the corner. Hermione was worried she'd lose her at the pace she was going.

"I mean, you're not much better yourself, Gin." That was probably not the best comment to make as Ginny shot her a glare.

Time seemed to warp and Hermione felt as though they were wandering the maze for hours. She started to get dizzy from all the twists and turns. She couldn't make a logical decision when it came to this magical maze, there was only chance, which seemed to not be on their side.

A flash of light hair swept through her vision.

As if she thought her experience couldn't get any worse, Pansy, Theo, Blaise, and Draco turned the corner, nearly smashing into Hermione and Ginny.

"Well, what do we have here? Funny seeing you around." Theo gave her a smirk, knowing he got what he wanted. 

She didn't realize how close she was to the blond Slytherin until she glanced up, his chest mere inches away.

"You might want to watch where you're going Granger, wouldn't want to cause an unfortunate incident." Malfoy's voice was deep and dark, almost as though he were teasing her. She felt herself fluster a bit at her current situation, only a breath away from contact.

Blaise broke whatever was going on between her and Malfoy and suggested they continue to wander around.

"This is such a bore," Malfoy said, removing a hand from one of his pockets and raking it through his slicked-back hair. He, according to Hermione's observations, decided to go as a skeleton with slick hair, similar to how he styled it their first and second year, and a pure black suit.

Theo went as a clown—possibly the joker, Blaise as a pirate, and Pansy as the 1992 version of Harley Quinn, her hair spilling perfectly from the jester's hat.

Something unexpected popped up in front of the group and Hermione latched onto Ginny's arm for support—except, she realized when it was too late, that it wasn't her red-headed friend's arm at all. She immediately let go of Malfoy and he scrunched his face in disgust at her mistake.

_What if he thought she had feelings for him?_

Of course she didn't think of him in that way of any sort, in fact, she wasn't very fond of him at all. He had made fun of her ever since first arriving at Hogwarts and she wouldn't forgive anything he'd done unless some miracle convinced her she should.

The thing that popped in front of them ended up being an enchanted cut out of a cheesy-looking mummy. She blushed in embarrassment as _that_ was the thing that frightened her.

Hermione promised herself to remain cautious so something similar wouldn't happen—she'd rue the day she accidentally clung to Theo or Blaise, they'd never let her live that down.

In a way, she was thankful it was Malfoy. At least he'd brush it off and probably scrub his arm until it bled to get her disgusting Mudblood germs off of him.

The universe was against her.

She kept accidentally bumping into things and one of those "things" was Malfoy. Some of the pathways required a tight squeeze and she was always pushed close to his warm body. In one instance, they brushed hands.

The exit came into view.

Theo bent down and kissed the ground, praising whatever the "maze gods" were. Pansy laughed a high pitched laugh and Hermione swore she saw her eyes glance at Ginny for a split second, looking her up and down. To be fair, even she could admit, Ginny looked amazing as ever in her tiny, tight dress and artistic dark makeup.

Hermione found out that they were in the maze for approximately three hours—it felt more like ten.

The dance was going to start soon and many students flooded into the Great Hall, which was transformed into a heavily decorated ballroom. The ceiling showed a full moon, stars, and erie clouds. The candles were dimly lit and the floor had a spell cast so that a thin layer of smoke floated a few centimeters above the surface.

The music was blasting and people around her jumped along.

Ginny said one of the students slipped some alcohol in the punch and went to go grab some—Hermione declined her offer when she asked if she wanted any as she didn't want to redo whatever happened last time.

"What are you even supposed to be Mudblood?" She turned around, his painted face stared back at her. Malfoy's icy eyes punctured a hole into her and she lost whatever skillful remark she had at the tip of her tongue. "Last time I checked you weren't intoxicated. Is being a disorientated mess a normal thing for a person like you?"

Her blood boiled. _A person like her?_ She knew exactly what he was referring to.

"And last time I checked you didn't seem to give a flying fuck about my life so why the sudden interest?"

"I was just asking about the costume Granger, god, you're such a pillock."

"I'm astonished at the fact that you even knew what that meant." 

"I'm not as dull as you think," he said as he took a sip of his drink, most likely spiked.

Her anger boomed and she felt her cheeks heat. He smirked at her irritated reaction.

"I got the drinks—" Ginny paused when she saw Hermione and Malfoy taking verbal stabs at one another, "You know what, I'll just come back later."

"Oh no you don't." Hermione grabbed Ginny's arm and she sighed.

"You really need someone to defend you in an argument as small as this? I'm curious to see how you'd react to something more severe—" and, before she allowed herself to hear even one more word out of that arrogant asshole's mouth, she stormed off, pulling Ginny along.

The loud music started giving Hermione a headache and she decided to head into the hallway, looking for even a small taste of solitude. Ginny decided to stay behind and Hermione left the room alone.

Harry stood, leaning against one of the walls. To Hermione's luck, Ron wasn't anywhere to be seen, which was rare when it came to them.

"Hey Harry." Hermione gave him a friendly smile as she backed her weight onto the wall next to him. He returned the smile and took a sip from whatever drink he was holding. He swirled it around and inhaled a deep breath.

"I don't think I'm over her."

"Yeah, I figured from the way you looked at her during Truth or Dare at the Quidditch Pitch."

Harry blushed, shifting his weight from one foot to another and Hermione recognized those as the habits he did whenever he was uncomfortable. "Was it that obvious?"

Hermione let out a small chuckle and Harry smiled a genuine smile, one Hermione missed dearly recently. They bantered a little back and forth, their conversation was very refreshing. They seemed to be going through similar issues and, as if on cue, Ron walked out of the Great Hall, the Ravenclaw girl attached to his lips. Now Hermione showed the uncomfortable behaviors, shifting her weight.

Harry watched her look down at her feet and suggested that they move outside. Hermione declined his kind suggestion and told him that she should probably go back and check on Ginny—Harry flinched a little at the mention of her name.

She walked back into the chaotic room, the music blared, students moved their bodies to the beat, drinks splashed around, and candles swayed.

A presence loomed behind her and she turned around, assuming that it was Ginny.

It, in fact, was someone she didn't expect. Someone that sent a wave of stiffness throughout her body. All her muscled seemed to compress as his eyes scanned over her. She took a long inhale and braced herself for the worst.


	6. Chapter 6

"Granger! Lovely to see you." Cormac stood uncomfortably close, his mouth stretched into a sly grin.

Hermione looked around the Great Hall, attempting to find an escape. Mclaggen had a keen thirst for her and wasn't fearful in showing his odd fascination. There were a few instances where he would try his best to charm her, but she would rather jump off the Astronomy tower than experience any romantic venture with him.

"You look incredible. Are you supposed to be Juliet?"

The fact that he knew what she was pissed her off even more. Damn his observative nature.

She simply nodded as a way to dry out their conversation. He was too close, the smell of alcohol nauseatingly radiated off of him and she scrunched her nose in disgust. Her throat felt as rough as sandpaper.

"If you'd excuse me, I'm trying to find my friend." She turned around, facing her back towards him, and sought to lose him in the crowd of whirling bodies. She felt a tug at the back of her dress and she knew things were about to take a turn for the worse.

"You're one hard to impress girl. Loosen up a bit and have some fun." He forcefully intertwined their figures together and Hermione tried to slither herself out of his grasp. He was most definitely drunk and his normal confident manner grew into something that frightened her.

He slid a hand down to her waist, pushing himself up against her. That's when she really began to panic.

She looked around, trying to assess the best way to get out of the unwanted situation she was forced to endure, and that's when she pieced together a plan. Blaise was leaning near one of the tables, sipping a drink while looking off into the distance. She had to get his attention, _but how?_

She "accidentally" messed up her footing and smashed her heel into Mclaggen's toe, he let out a howl. Just like that, her plan geared into action.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm such a clumsy mess." Blaise looked straight in her direction and she communicated with him through her eyes. He started to walk over and Hermione couldn't contain her grin.

"Hey Mclaggen, how's it going?" Blaise used his charming character to distract Cormac, rescuing Hermione from his hungry desire.

"Pardon us Zabini, we're in the middle of something." And the door to freedom began to close, Hermione barely slipped through the crack. She got away, weaving herself through students and losing sight of both Cormac and Blaise. She had to remember to thank Blaise at some point for saving her ass.

Ginny was swinging her hips, dancing with a boy Hermione couldn't recognize. He had his hands wrapped around her and Hermione was impressed at the fact that she got as cozy as she did in less than a few hours.

Hermione looked around, taking in the chaotic scenes that enveloped her. She spotted Nott and Parkinson dancing together, laughing while shimmying along. She also saw Harry, who decided to finally enter the party, along with Ron—it appeared as though he, after a while, chose to part his lips from Lorelai, who Hermione couldn't seem to locate.

The music changed into a calm, slow melody. Couples started to cling to each other and swayed to the beat. That was Hermione's cue to leave the dance floor. Someone spun her around and her sight latched onto a pair of green eyes. Harry smiled down at her and she felt her happiness spike.

"I hope you're having a pleasant night, Miss Granger," he said, unable to contain a chuckle. She could tell he was a little intoxicated but his bright face brought a sense of familiarity, reminding her of a time when they used to spend their days laughing over the smallest of things.

She rested her head on his chest as they continued to dance, the music lulling her into a tired state. She closed her eyes and let her senses take hold. The bass of the music rocketed through her core, the feeling of Harry's clothes was both soft and smooth. She could see colors seep through her lids, mostly consisting of orange and purple tones. The lights flickered, her body released the tension it previously held, and she let her mind relax.

It was just her and her best friend now. He placed his chin on top of Hermione's head and embraced her in a comforting hold. Everyone else seemed to disappear and so did her worries. She came to a realization that she didn't need much. She didn't need love, she didn't need to be known, she just needed her friends and herself—this was a fact she was willing to accept.

The time whisked by and the dance came to an end. She bid Harry a good night and went to find Ginny. She met up with Parvati and Lavender along the way and they headed to their dorm.

"That was something else." Ginny had a swooning glint in her eye and Hermione assumed it was caused by the boy she had danced with. Parvati and Lavender looked at each other and flashed a knowing smirk.

"It definitely was... Something," Hermione chimed in, remembering the incident between her and Malfoy as well as the one with Cormac.

"Oh? Did you finally get out of your comfort zone and find a worthy suitor?" Ginny asked, putting her full attention onto Hermione.

"Not exactly." She began to explain everything briefly while Lavender, Parvati, and Ginny listened with curiosity.

The girls stayed up a little later as they gushed about their night. They laughed, teased, and listened to each other's stories. The clock struck midnight and Hermione forced everyone to go to bed, they needed to be well-rested after their long, eventful night.

~.~

Winter approached. Coats, hats, gloves, and scarves wrapped around each student as a way to contain themselves from the harsh frost. Ginny developed a cold and her nose showed a bright red.

 _"Achoo_."

"Bless you," Hermione swore that was about the hundredth time she said that phrase that week.

"Thank you," Ginny responded, her voice raspy and miserable. She blew her nose in the handkerchief a kind Gryffindor girl handed her during lunch.

"It's supposed to snow today," Hermione said, multitasking both reading and continuing their conversation.

"What a delight," Ginny remarked sarcastically, resting her forehead on the wooden table.

As if on cue, a young Hufflepuff girl burst into the Great Hall and shouted, "It's snowing! It's snowing!"

Loads of students flowed out of the room and into the hallway, marveling at the beautiful sight.

Flakes of white landed softly, sticking on the ground. Hermione saw the faces of first, second, and third years light up and a few stepped outside. Cheers from several students erupted and the winter spirit roared throughout the corridor. Hermione let out a laugh and saw Ginny do the same.

She caught a glimpse of light hair and a smile graced upon his features. She rarely noticed him smile nowadays but it made her feel some sort of warmth in her chest. Malfoy looked up at the snow, his cheeks rosy and his hair tousled underneath his knitted cap. His chin was hidden beneath an expensive-looking scarf but that didn't distract from his gleeful expression. He looked as though he had aged down a few years, as though he were an innocent little boy whose excitement sprung up at the small things in life, such as the tiny bits of snow that cascaded around them.

The bell rang and a few groans sounded from the crowd. Everyone packed up their bags and headed to class. Hermione glanced back and saw the ghost of the smile still etched on his face. He must have sensed her gaze as his eyes swooped towards her, she froze. His lips parted and she broke out of her trance, beginning to head to class.

"Admiring my charming looks, Granger?" Draco walked up to her right as class began and she wished she could shrink and crawl away.

"Charming? Please," she retorted with a small huff, feeling the heat creep up her neck. He smirked at her response.

"Why'd you go as Juliet for Halloween, did some bloke break your heart?"

So he _did_ know what her costume was supposed to be. She shifted her weight and thought back to Ron. She never thought of her choice in costume representing her emotional turmoil but internally chuckled at the realization.

"I guess you could say that," Hermione said, she noticed her voice waver ever so slightly.

She felt his eyes latch onto her as she sat down in her assigned seat. After about a minute, he did the same. They were luckily seated at opposite sides of the classroom so she didn't have to deal with him remarking on her last response. She placed her chin in her palm and scribbled notes down as their Charms teacher, Professor Flitwick, talked about their newest lesson.

She felt someone behind her tap her shoulder.

"Hey, I think I saw your cat wander into the forest this morning—just thought I should let you know." It was a brunette Slytherin—one Hermione didn't know too well. She believed her name was Melyssa Terkson.

"Thank you for letting me know." She started to overthink and decided to look for Crookshanks after class as she had a free period anyway.

~.~

"Crooks."

"Crookshanks."

She cautiously strolled through the forest, a light radiated from the tip of her wand. The forest was thick and covered in snow, making it hard to avoid stumbling. It was beginning to get dark as the afternoon came to a close.

"Merlin Crooks, where are you?" Hermione sighed, a feeling of worry hit her as the wind whistled against her ears. She felt her face grow cold and her cheeks turned cherry.

The breaking of a branch set her off and she nervously whipped her head in the direction of the noise. A bizarre creature stood still, its eyes bored into her soul. Hermione recognized it to be a Bugbear—which she previously assumed was just a fairytale used to scare younger wizards and witches. She was fascinated at seeing one in person until it grew closer, giving off a type of growling sound.

It circled her, its buggy eyes setting her as its next target.

The creature crouched down, preparing to pounce. As it lifted off into the air, Hermione shouted out the first spell that came to mind.

"Flipendo!"

The Bugbear got thrown into a tree, it let out a horrifying wail and got back up. It ran towards Hermione as she flicked her wand.

"Impedimenta!" Another spell shot from her wand, striking the beat straight in the chest. As it froze in place, she tried to think of her next move.

Too late.

The spell wore off and it resumed its attack.

 _Fuck_.

Hermione tried to shout a defensive spell but couldn't seem to get it in time.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

A voice yelled from behind her. The magic trail struck the beast and it fell, completely locked in place.

"What the hell Hermione. Why did you come out here on your own?" She turned around and gasped at who it was. Malfoy had a raging expression, his wand was held tightly in his hand.

"My cat," was the only thing she was able to croak out. She felt the embarrassment rise at her stupidity.

A small noise came from one of the bushes and Malfoy moved in front of her. The noise sounded again and he raised his wand.

"Wait!" Hermione rushed to the bush and pulled a ginger cat into her arms. "Crooks, you scared the hell out of me. You should know better than this." She stroked the cat's fur and he purred in her embrace.

"Damn, that cat's thick," he huffed, pushing the pale hair out of his face.

"Don't insult my cat!" Hermione was getting irritated at his presence.

"Hey, I just saved both your arses. I should be allowed to insult your ugly furball."

"Oh shut your mouth, Malfoy," she sneered in response, stepping through piles of sticks and snow.

They both walked back to the school together and Crooks seemed more than content laying in Hermione's warm arms. His tail swayed back and forth which made Hermione flash a smile.

"You might want to lock him up—maybe ground him." He crossed his arms in front of his chest, glaring at her ginger feline who continued to purr. She finally set the cat down and Crooks immediately brushed his small body against Malfoy's leg. "Get your pest off of me!"

Malfoy tried to scramble away but the cat seemed determined to stick by his side.

"I think he likes you."

"Well, I'm not very fond of it."

" _It?_ You could at least use _his_ proper pronouns." Hermione rolled her eyes, picking Crooks up from near Malfoy's feet. He gave a huff at her remark and twirled his wand in between his long fingers.

"Um, thanks by the way, for—"

"For saving you twit and you're pet?" He interrupted.

"...yes." She regretted her apology as soon as it left her mouth.

They parted their separate ways perfectly on time as the bell rang. Hermione quickly dropped her cat off in her dorm, grabbed her bookbag, and headed to her next destination.

~.~

"Hey, Mione." Ginny gave her a sly grin.

"Hey..." Hermione knew something was up. They stood outside the classroom Hermione just exited and were getting ready to head up to their common room.

"A little someone told me that they saw you and Malfoy out in the woods together. Alone." Ginny raised her eyebrows in a suggestive manner and Hermione knew exactly what she was thinking. The heat ran from her neck all the way up to her cheeks.

"No no no." She flustered at even the thought of being intimate with someone like him. She would never do such a thing, especially with someone as cruel and reserved as Malfoy.

Ginny sighed almost as though she were disappointed, Hermione guessed that she was ready to indulge in some drama as things in her life have been relatively calm this year. Once again, Hermione wasn't into dramatics at all and would trade her chaotic life for Ginny's "dull" one in a heartbeat.

"Let's just get going, shall we?" Ginny threaded her arm through and latched it onto Hermione's as they walked side by side. She noticed many kids playing in the courtyard as the snow seemed to pack on the ground thick, changing the atmosphere from their morning drastically. The snow gave off a sense of calm as it covered everything in a sheet of white, it glittered as the sun's rays brushed upon certain areas.

They entered the common room and the fire in the fireplace gleamed welcomingly. She decided to sit on the couch and Ginny entered their dorm. Hermione picked out a book from her bag and read, the snow began to fall so she enjoyed watching the little white balls fall from the sky. She read about adventures, fantasies, and witty characters—she wished she could insert herself into a story such as the ones she fancied. Tales of princes and princesses, dragons and knights, poets and philosophers. The pages called to her and this calling was something her friends could never understand. She didn't mind though, she loved living in her own little world.

With a satisfied sigh and after a few hours of reading, Hermione was able to get through about one hundred pages of her captivating novel. Her eyes grew heavy and she assumed that it was her cue to get some sleep and dream of the scenes she just envisioned.

She walked up the stairs, opened the door, got ready for bed, and climbed into her cozy four-poster. As she fell asleep the only thing she could think back to was Malfoy and him conveniently saving her in that forest, almost as though she were in a story herself. Then the flash of a question crossed her mind: _Why was he in that forest with her?_ It couldn't be just a coincidence as students weren't normally allowed in there. She decided to save that thought for another day when she might be bold enough to ask him herself.

The infamous Draco Malfoy saved her, what a concept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This time of the year is pretty hectic for me with testing and school so if these chapters start coming out a little slower, blame school. Anyway, I'll still try to post at least once a week, if not more, until the mini-hiatus. (I'm still not certain how long the hiatus will be but I'll be sure to start writing as soon as I can).


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